


Wasting Away

by AnneMcSommers



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Eating Disorders, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Homelessness, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Starvation, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:15:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29122503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnneMcSommers/pseuds/AnneMcSommers
Summary: Klaus is slowly starving to death living in mansion full of food, and his family only finds out when it affects a mission.  Set post season 1, not an eating disorder fic, well not purposefully anyway. See more in the notes at beginning of story.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 2
Kudos: 191





	Wasting Away

**Author's Note:**

> Character is starving to death, but not intentionally. Disordered eating caused by circumstances. May still be triggering for eating disorder though, so I tagged it.

The first time that Klaus dropped a cigarette because he couldn't feel his fingers, he assumed that he was just too cold. It was after all cold as hell outside, and being homeless it did make sense that he would in face be very cold, and therefore have numb fingers.

The second time it happened, he was inside, but he had been laying on a funny angle on his bed for a few hours, he could have pinched a nerve of something. It was the same excuse he gave the third, fourth, and fifth time it happened.

The pain in his joints was something that he had become used to, so much so that on a really good pain day he actually wondered for a second whether or not it was a dream. What he hadn’t realized is that what he would consider a really good day, was something that would make most of his family members cry, and most average people curl up in a ball and scream. His family was a lot of things, average was not one of them.

It all came to a head the sixth time Klaus’s fingers went numb. They were out on a “mission”, getting some intel on the commission to see what their ongoing plans were, when they were captured. When he said they, he meant all 6 of his family members, 7 if you included Ben who was technically with them, but not exactly in a state to be handcuffed. You know, being dead and all.

Anyways, they were in some kind of basement prison, all tricked out with the full-on retro bars. Apparently the commission went in on all the cliches, because there was a key, on the wall across the hall, and their powers were most certainly not working. Well not working at full power at least, because Ben was fuzzy, but quite clearly visible. Luther though, did not see even remotely strong. Five could not teleport. Vanya was not…well whatever she did. Rumors wouldn’t exactly help, and Diego didn’t have anything to throw. So they didn’t know whether or not he was up or not.

The idea was simple. They would take their clothes, well, shirts, tie them together, make something long enough to hit the key off the wall, and then drag it across the room. Simple, and yet, oh so far away. 

Mostly because Klaus had numb fingers, again. And it wasn’t cold, and hadn't been lying on his elbow. He just had numb fingers, so much so that he was having trouble tying two sleeves together. At the third attempt Luther asked “Are you high?” in that disparaging tone of disbelief.

“What, no! Why would you think that?” Klaus replied, offended.

“Because you can’t tie those together.” Replied Allison gesturing at the sleeves that kept slipping through his fingers.

“Ya, well you try tying shit together when you can’t feel your fingers.” Klaus retorted unthinking. He looked down and started at the sight of another pair of hands reaching for his own. He looked up and Diego was there, face scrunched with worry.

“Christ on a cracker Diego, warn a guy would you?”

“How long have you not been able to feel your fingers?” Diego asked, sounding disturbingly gentle.

Klaus shrugged. “I dunno, since we started this, maybe longer?” 

“Is this the first time this has happened.” Klaus flushed with embarrassment, when he realized all eyes were on him, and looked towards his feet. He shook his head slightly.

“Klaus” Diego sounded so resigned, that Klaus looked away, cheeks hot with shame. 

“Why don’t I do that?” Vanya asked, gently pulled the sleeve away from Klaus. He started to protest, but was surprised out of it by Diego pulling him into a tight hug. 

He resisted for a second before melting into it, going boneless shortly after. Diego didn't so much as falter though, adjusting his grip slightly, and then easing them both to the ground.

Klaus heard voices, but he only caught bits of what they were saying “okay?” “light?” “Mom” “Home” He gave up trying to follow the conversation, and gave into the pressing darkness warm and comfortable in his brother’s arms. 

Klaus woke up in the infirmary, with an IV in, and he frowned at the sight of it. He didn’t remember getting hurt. He lifted the blanket, and looked for bandages, and found nothing. He felt his face, and head, nothing, he wiggled in the bed, and frowned more when he felt nothing rubbing on his back. What the hell, he knew he hadn’t relapsed, but why else would he be in here? He definitely didn’t feel like he was on any kind of pain killers, but he did feel good, really good, better in fact than he could remember feeling. He reached out with his powers and gave a little tug. 

Instantly Ben was beside him. “Are you okay?” Ben asked, looking worried.

“I was going to ask you that, I have no idea how I got here. I was in that creepy prison or what not, then boom, here I am. Did I die or something?” Klaus asked, confused about how else he ended up in the infirmary without a scratch on him

“You passed out. They couldn’t wake you up.” Ben stated dryly.

“What, why?” Klaus was more than a little confused.

“Have you been eating?” Ben interrupted.

“Ya, I guess. Sometimes, if there is food in the kitchen.” Ben cringed, and before Klaus could ask anything else, Five was in the room, then beside him on the bed.

“What do you mean, if there is food in the kitchen?” Five demanded.

“Pretty self explanatory, if there is something worth eating in the cupboards I eat it…” Klaus drifted off.

“But?” Five prompted impatient.

“But the food goes pretty fast, and well, I mean not exactly one to trust with money here.” He made a what-can-you do shrug with his arms.

“And before?” Five demanded.

“Before you came back?” Klaus asked, and continued at Five’s nod.

“Well when I had the cash, and it came down to food or drugs, food doesn’t keep the ghosties away.”

“But now, you aren’t hungry.” Five stated.

“Dude I can’t remember the last time I was hungry, what’s the about anyways, did I relapse or something? Ben wouldn’t say.” Klaus wanted answers.

Five’s face softened; it was terrifying. Maybe he didn’t want answers. “Am I dying?”

Back to the you’re an idiot look. “What, no. Why would you even think that?”

“You’re being nice to me.” Klaus regretted the words even as they came out of his mouth.

He wasn’t sure what the expression on Five’s face was, but it hurt to look at. “I, You, I know.” Five, started, stopped, and started again. I know I don’t say it, but you know I came back, to save you guys. You are my family. I want you to be okay.”

“Okay, and we are okay, aren’t we?” Klaus asked, more confused than when they started.

Five took a deep breath, closing his eyes and opening them before he continued. “No, you aren’t. Klaus, I, you are starving, to death practically, in a god damned mansion. And we didn’t even notice until your hands went so numb you couldn’t tie a knot I don’t think that is okay, by any definition.”

Klaus just stared at him, silent.  


“Well?” Five demanded.  


“Well what?” Klaus wasn’t sure what he was looking for.  


“Don’t you have something to say?” Five had an expression on his face, like Klaus should know what he meant. So he went back to basics.  


“Sorry?”

“Sorry?” Five spat out, obviously he was looking for more.

“I mean I didn’t mean to screw up the mission, I won’t let it happen again.” Klaus elaborated.

“I,” Five choked off, tearing up.

“Five?” Klaus was cut off by Five hugging him. Klaus froze, was this a preamble to Five killing him. He looked up at Ben who looked equally as upset as Five. What the hell was with his family.

“Five?” This time Diego was asking, and Klaus looked at the door, and saw his remaining siblings hovering unsure.

Five pulled away swiping at his eyes. 

“I just explained to this idiot how finding out he wasn’t eating enough by having his limbs go numb was not okay and his response. His response was, well, go on tell them Klaus?” Five goaded.

“I’m sorry for screwing up the mission, it won’t happen again?” Klaus repeated, slowly. 

Now the rest of them had the same look Five had. Huh, he was obviously missing something. He tried to fix it.

“I know sorry cant fix it,” he started, and Vanya started to cry. Okay, what the hell. He looked at Diego confused.

“I don’t get it?” He admitted quietly.

Diego sat on the other side of the bed opposite Five. He slowly pulled Klaus into a hug, and Klaus felt safer than he had in a long time. Diego ducked his head down, and whispered into Klaus’s ear. “I know, we’ll get there.”

Klaus wanted to pull away, ask more questions, but he was just so comfortable, they would wait, wouldn’t they? He felt himself start to drift off, waking only long enough to grab at Diego’s jacket when he started to loosen his hold. The arms tightened around him, and Klaus let himself fall.


End file.
